Apparatus and method of inspecting mask

Abstract

A mask inspecting apparatus and method of inspecting a mask having a plurality of openings used in deposition in a desired pattern, the mask inspecting apparatus capable of detecting a defect of the mask through the openings of the mask. The mask inspecting apparatus includes: a detection unit detecting boundary line of each of the openings of the mask; a storage unit storing information about a member on which deposition is to be performed using the mask; a setting unit setting a first boundary line, a second boundary line, and a safety area for each of the openings using the stored information about the member on which deposition is to be performed, wherein the first boundary line forms an outline of a deposition area, the second boundary line surrounds the first boundary, and the safety area is interposed between the first boundary line and the second boundary line; and a control unit determining whether the boundary line of the mask detected by the detection unit does not contact the first boundary line and the second boundary line and whether it is present in the safety area.

1. A mask inspecting apparatus for inspecting a mask having openings used in deposition in a desired pattern, the apparatus comprising:
 a detection unit for detecting a boundary line of each of the openings of the mask; 
 a storage unit for storing information about a member on which deposition is to be performed using the mask; 
 a setting unit for setting a first boundary line, a second boundary line, and a safety area for each of the openings using the stored information about the member on which deposition is to be performed, wherein the first boundary line forms an outline of a deposition area, the second boundary line surrounds the first boundary line, and the safety area is interposed between the first boundary line and the second boundary line; 
 a control unit for determining whether the boundary line of the mask detected by the detection unit does not contact the first boundary line and the second boundary line and whether the boundary line is present in the safety area; and 
 an output unit for outputting information about openings contacting at least one of the first boundary line and the second boundary line and are in an area that is not in the safety area. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the setting unit sets the first boundary line, the second boundary line, and the safety area as a virtual map according to the information about the member on which deposition is to be performed. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the information about the member on which deposition is to be performed comprises information about a substrate, cells and sub-pixels on the substrate, and intervals between the sub-pixels. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the detection unit is a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. 
     
     
       5. A method of inspecting a mask having a plurality of openings used in deposition in a desired pattern, the method comprising:
 preparing the mask having the plurality of openings formed in a predetermined pattern used in deposition in the desired pattern; 
 setting a first boundary line, a second boundary line, and a safety area for each of the openings according to information about a member on which deposition is to be performed, wherein the first boundary line forms an outline of a deposition area, the second boundary line surrounds the first boundary line, and the safety area is between the first boundary line and the second boundary line; 
 determining whether the boundary line of each of the openings of the mask does not contact the first boundary line and the second boundary line and whether the first and second boundary lines are present in areas that are not the safety areas; and 
 outputting information about which of the openings, which are not present in the safety area, from among the plurality of openings after performing the determining. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein in the setting of the first boundary lines, the second boundary lines, and the safety areas, the first boundary lines, the second boundary lines, and the safety areas are stored as a virtual map according to the information about the member on which deposition is to be performed. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the information about the member on which deposition is to be performed comprises information about a substrate, cells and sub-pixels on the substrate, and intervals between the sub-pixels. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the boundary lines of the openings are detected using a detection unit. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the detection unit is a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. 
     
     
       10. A central processing unit (CPU) for generating a virtual map of a mask used in a mask inspecting apparatus, the virtual map comprising virtual lines and virtual areas corresponding to acceptable boundary lines of openings of the mask, the CPU comprising:
 a control unit for
 generating the virtual map according to virtual boundary lines of the openings of the mask, 
 comparing the virtual map against detected boundary lines of the openings of the mask, and 
 outputting information about which of the openings whose corresponding said detected boundary lines do not correspond to respective said acceptable boundary lines. 
 
 
     
     
       11. The CPU of  claim 10 , wherein the CPU is disposed in the mask inspecting apparatus, the mask inspecting apparatus comprising:
 a detection unit for detecting the detected boundary lines of the openings of the mask; 
 a storage unit for storing information about a member on which deposition is to be performed using the mask; 
 a setting unit for setting the virtual boundary lines using the stored information to generate the virtual map; and 
 an output unit for outputting the information about which of the openings whose corresponding said detected boundary lines do not correspond to respective said acceptable boundary lines. 
 
     
     
       12. The CPU of  claim 11 , wherein the virtual lines of the openings of the mask comprise
 first boundary lines forming inner perimeters of deposition areas corresponding to respective openings of the mask, and 
 second boundary lines forming corresponding outer perimeters of the deposition areas that surround respective said first boundary lines. 
 
     
     
       13. The CPU of  claim 12 ,
 wherein the virtual areas of the openings of the mask comprise corresponding safety areas interposed between respective said first boundary lines and respective said second boundary lines, and 
 wherein the acceptable boundary lines are disposed entirely within respective said safety areas. 
 
     
     
       14. The CPU of  claim 12 , wherein the control unit is configured to determine that one of the openings is defective when the corresponding detected boundary line intersects with the respective first boundary line or the respective second boundary line. 
     
     
       15. A method of generating a virtual map of a mask used in a mask inspecting apparatus for inspecting the mask, the mask having openings used in deposition in a desired pattern, the virtual map comprising virtual lines and virtual areas corresponding to acceptable boundary lines of the openings of the mask, the mask inspecting apparatus comprising a computer comprising a processor for executing instructions and an output device for outputting information about the mask inspecting, the method comprising:
 detecting, by the processor, boundary lines of the openings of the mask; 
 comparing, by the processor, the detected boundary lines with the virtual map to determine which of the openings are defective; and 
 outputting, by the output device, information about which of the openings are defective. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 generating, by the processor, the virtual map by setting first boundary lines, second boundary lines, and safety areas according to information about a member on which the deposition is to be performed, 
 wherein the first boundary lines form inner perimeters of deposition areas corresponding to respective openings of the mask and the second boundary lines form corresponding outer perimeters of the deposition areas that surround respective said first boundary lines. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the second boundary lines are set according to a process margin having a larger width and length than corresponding said openings of the mask. 
     
     
       18. A computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that when executed by the processor cause the computer to execute the method of  claim 15 .